1968 Austin 1100 Mk1 (Take 2)

[Hooli]

You animal! I would have used a gas torch on that.

I do need to get a decent gas torch at some point soon. I've always resisted as I don't have a good experience with fire and have a precedence of setting the wrong things alight a couple of times - this includes my face one time.

It got put out with a shovel?

[fried onions]

You could have removed it in one piece with a little patience and tact. The best way is to keep tapping it all around with a rubber mallet and use an old screwdriver with worn sharp blade to carefully tap in between the head and the housing. This has worked for me every time. If it was a rare car you would not be so lucky getting parts. The radiator overflow pipe just pushes on, no clips are used throughout its length except the one halfway down to hold it in place. It is not ordinary coolant pipe but anything that is a push fit will work.

[SiC]

Yes I could have improved the chances of saving it if it really had to be saved. If this was the Dolomite engine, I'd be doing things very differently for sure.

I did start hitting the gap with a screwdriver but that didn't do much except risk damaging the head if the tip moved or wasn't correctly positioned on each wack. That head is something that is much harder and more expensive to get hold of than the thermostat cover. I'd liked to have kept the cover but I'd prefer to keep the head nearly risk free of damage or needing major work (if a stud seized in or snapped). Hence I was prepared to sacrifice the cover to achieve this aim. Plus it had already been sanded and badly painted, so despite being original, it's not showing original patina.

I'd probably have got a decent MAP torch and a stud extractor or similar if I needed to save the cover. Or possibly even a freeze spray to help break the bond too.

I'm more upset that the old thermostat got damaged. Would have quite liked that on the shelf as a bit of automobilia. Might see if I can reshape the top back into roughly flat and clean it up a bit.

That's not a radiator overflow on these. The radiator has a blanking cap and that pipe goes down to the expansion tank which then has the 13psi radiator cap on. So that hose is under the full system pressure.

[fried onions]

It's not under a great deal of pressure. You can have my old stat before I throw it in the bin.

[SiC]

It's not under a great deal of pressure. You can have my old stat before I throw it in the bin.

Up to 13psi as per the expansion cap rating that is to the correct spec. It's sufficient pressure to require hose clamps out of the factory.

[SiC]

Fitted the thermostat housing last night. Went on with no trouble. Interesting to note that the hole around the studs is significantly larger than the original housing. I guess to reduce the chances of it seizing on due to material difference. Put copper grease on the studs to make sure next time isn't going to need so much violence.


Next was replacing the coolant hoses to the cabin heater. These are a mix of old and new pipes with some interesting bodges in-between. Some of the old pipe is really quite floppy and decrepit.




Came off without too much of an issue. Really not sure why these pipes weren't replaced, rather than bodging new sections in with bits of copper tubing.


New pipes went in easy enough. I guess if someone replacing these sections had limited mobility, they may have struggled to replace the whole lot. That's the only explanation I can think of.



Replaced the clutch rubber. I did buy a spare for the brake too, but the new one is a very different consistency and a lot softer. So probably won't last anywhere near as long.



Fuel hose to the pump in the boot looks very much had it. Not sure how this isn't leaking. This will need changing and hopefully isn't too much of an issue to get to. Possibly pump out from the boot should allow me to get my hand in.


Then checked the oil pressure relief valve. This is worn on one side but I don't think it's enough to be worrying about just yet? I'm led to believe from Google that it's only a concern when the end mating section gets a lip on.


Moss stock replacements cheap enough so wouldn't be a big deal to replace. Just, like the pedal rubber, some of this new stuff doesn't last anywhere near as long as the original.

[SiC]

Probably should do another update. Been working on this here and there when I get time in the evenings.

First order of business was to treat the a-pillars of some rust was krust I noticed hiding.



Next up was to tackle the fuel pump.
Wasn't too tricky to remove. Just a bunch of old clamps to undo or move.



Then finally pulling out the back.


Hose has had it.


You can see it's completely busted here. How it wasn't spewing fuel everywhere I don't know.


Went to refit with new pipe but found I only had a short bit of 1/4inch pipe left. Local car parts shop had pipe in the right size but only J30R6. This isn't really fully ethanol proof, especially under pressure. Seems pressure gets through the membrane of the rubber and higher ethanol content limits the pressure it can withstand. Looks like R6 is rated up to 5% ethanol. Irritating but I put this bit on the suction side and I'll be just careful to only put 5% in.


Presumably this is a date code. If so then it's made this year. So hardly NOS.


Pump went in but was bit of a bugger to stop the outlet from kinking. I suspect this is what busted up the hose previously.



Another quick evening job was cleaning up the main earths and doubling them up. I like to do this on older cars as nothing more frustrating than being stranded with braided earth breaking.




Also noticed the earth terminal on the dynamo control box was heavily rusted. Gave this a quick clean too.


When I bought the hose I saw a can of Pagent Blue. Rest assured this is the incorrect colour.


Finally replaced the dodgy looking front nipples. I was a bit concerned these would be a right mare to remove but actually ended up being real easy.




Shiny nipples.

[SiC]

As the list of jobs needing to be done was getting shorter, I was getting to the point where I have to start thinking of tackling the brake system. I hate working on brakes as you can't afford to get it wrong but the fluid is nasty, brake pipes a pain to shape and usually everything is rusted up.

Did the easy job first - handbrake cables. Existing ones looked original and fraying.



New old stock cables were supplied with the car, so it looks like someone expected to be doing this job sometime soon.


Job went realatively uneventful. Only pain was the clamping plate that retains the cables fell off. I tried avoiding this by not undoing the top plate all the way but I was one thread out on the very last cable.


It's a pain as the bottom retaining plate always wants to fall off - thanks to gravity. Had the bright idea of using these inflator bags I bought from Lidl ages ago to hold the plate in place. Worked a treat.


Cables all shiny now.



As I had a bit of spare time on Friday evening before I packed up, I had a go on the other rear hub. This time with a proper puller.


This went so far but the bolt supplied wasn't long enough.


Used the old bit of water pump casing as a further spacer. This is why I don't throw anything away!


Drum fell off shortly after without drama.


I don't think this was easier because of the puller (would have helped admittedly). The other side was a left handed thread and I reckon someone previously had been in there and done it up way too tight when trying to remove.

This brings us onto yesterday. Pretty much spent the whole day tackling the rear drums. I hate drums, brake discs are so much nicer to work on. Less fiddly and moving bits. So there isn't too many pictures on this as I was getting cheesed off doing it.

Started by pressure draining all the fluid out.


Then undid the hard lines and had pretty much every one seize up and snap.

Removed the springs from the drum and then the shoes.


Went to change the rear cylinder and then realised there was no way of getting my magic tool in to put the retaining clip on.


So ended up having to fully pull the drum apart and remove the backplate.


Being really crusty, project creep got in. Attacked it with the wire wheel on the grinder and threw some paint on.


Then a case of putting it all back together. Here is the tool in action putting the clip on. Not a cheap tool but one that I've used on two cars now.


Incidentally the cylinders didn't look too bad inside. However at £13 for two, it made sense to lob replacements on.

Amazing what a lick of paint can do to tarting something up.


Hard line I got from LMS was much longer than the original. I've bent it to fit but I'm not sure if these radii are too tight.

Original


My shaping effort. Reckon this will be alright or need redoing with a shorter pipe?


Then set on the other side. Removing the Flexi I came right unstuck. When trying to use force on remove the seized retaining nut, the whole section came out.


Snapped.


Completely stuck. FFS.
Given how solidly stuck they are, it does likely mean they're original and ripe for replacement. Justify this ball-ache. Do still wonder if I should have not bothered with this job just yet though!



I fabricated a new piece to go in out of a bit of steel. The clip is one I bought from Moss and supposed to stops the Flexi pipe twisting when doing up.



Now I'm not sure how I'm going to affix it yet. Welding is the obvious answer but right above it is the fuel pump and it's rubber lines. Given I can smell a slight whiff of fuel, I'm a bit apprehensive about any hot work around there.


I'm thinking of possibly drilling into the subframe and riveting or bolting the new plate on. That rear subframe is the worst bit of the car and I can see it being needed to pull out in the future for replacement or heavy refurbishment.

[mercrocker]

Those few pics and words can only hint at the frustration and time I'm sure.....!

[christine]

Good thread , takes me back.. Subframe change was a regular occurrence for me . £35 for a good'un in the scrapyard or 70 quid for a pattern new one . The scrapyard one generally came with the radius arms still on , so that was the best way .. but heavier .. That and rusty pinholed fuel tanks ..happy days